While the fight against the out-of-control federal government is a vital one, it’s important to realize that state and local governments often get power-hungry and oppressive all on their own.

It seems that after decades of seeing the federal government regulate away our fundamental freedoms, local governments are getting jealous and trying to get in on the game.

Look no further than Sugar Creek, Missouri, where a family was given four days to tear up every vegetable in their garden in the front yard or face absurd fees.

Rare has more details:

What makes the situation even more unfair is the fact that the ordinance under which the city is fining Nathan Athans and his family was just passed on March 28, 2016. Because of that remarkably convenient timing, Athans believes he is being personally targeted.

He would move the garden to the backyard but it doesn’t get adequate sunlight, so the vegetables can’t grow there.

The new law says the garden has to be at least 30 feet from the road, which isn’t possible on Athans’ property.

That last word is what makes this all so ridiculous: It is, in fact, private property.

A front yard vegetable garden might not be to everyone’s taste, but that doesn’t justify using the government to force gardeners to comply with other people’s preferences.

Thomas Jefferson was last seen rolling over numerous times in his grave. While Jefferson’s vision of America was one of agrarian farmers toiling in the land and making their own way, I think it’s fair to say every single Founding Father would not be able to comprehend a view of property rights in America, where citizens are fined for trying to grow their own food.

This isn’t even an isolated incident, as Rare points out that this has happened in numerous states, with threats of jail time and fines as high as $500 per day.

When did all levels of government get this much power? Things have gotten out of control.

About The Author

Mark was a co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, and served as the national coordinator. He left the organization to work more broadly on expanding the self-governance movement beyond the partisan divide. Mark appears regularly on television in outlets as diverse as MSNBC, ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN, Bloomberg, Fox Business and the BBC. He’s highly sought after for the tea party perspective from print and electronic media outlets, from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, L.A. Times, Washington Examiner, Politico and the The Hill. Mark blogs at MarkMeckler.com, and his opinion editorials regularly run in many of the leading political newspapers both on and offline. Mark has a BA in English from San Diego State University and graduated with honors from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1988. He practiced real estate and business law for almost a decade. For the last eleven years of his legal career he specialized in Internet advertising law. When not fighting for the future of our nation, Mark is an avid horseman, and lives in rural northern California with his wife Patty and two children.

One Response

  1. James Southern

    No government should have the authority to tell you you can not gorw produce for your own consumption on ANY part of your privately owned property. They need to sue the city counsell for the ordinance imposing unfair or indue ordinances on those who grow for subsistence. This is an outrage but is happening to often today. I would say go to the state and mak e the state tell city hall to go to hell leave this family alone and pen a law that prohibits the city from impsing these types of ordinances on people and also disallow the fines.
    Also see about getting your senator or congressman to have your legoslature put a dtay on the fines or any actions of this ordinance until the state legislature can decide a law protecting your rights to grow your own food which is part of the foundations of the US.”If a man won’t work he should not eat ,” is a quote from William Penn the name sake of Pennsylvania and a pioneer of the US. These people are working for their food and should be left alone.

    Reply

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